Miles Undergoing Change Of Name

Another of the nation`s prestigious companies is about to undergo a name- change operation.

According to sources, the ``patient`` is Miles Laboratories Inc., the Elkhart, Ind.-based firm best known for its Alka-Seltzer.

The ``doctor`` is one of the leading firms specializing in corporate identity programs, perhaps Lippincott and Margulies in New York.

This corporate identity program is at a very early stage and it may be another year or so before Miles Laboratories officially becomes Miles.

On the surface, this might not appear to be a major undertaking. But the new corporate name suggests the firm may try to expand under a new umbrella into other businesses, including acquisitions.

Bayer AG, a West German company and one of the top chemical products firms there, acquired Miles in 1978. Miles is one of the units of Pittsburgh based-Bayer USA, which includes Agfa-Gevaert, the film-products concern, among its properties. Parent Bayer may be pointing Miles into new markets, hence the new identity program and name change.

Miles, with annual sales of more than $1.2 billion, also sells such health-care brands as Bactine and One A Day along with S.O.S. pads and Glass Works, a glass cleaner. S.O.S., a 1968 acquisition from General Foods, and Glass Works are marketed by Miles Household Products Division in Bedford Park. Miles was found in 1884 as the Dr. Miles Medical Co., Dr. Miles Laboratories became the name in 1932 followed by Miles Laboratories in 1935.

HEILEMAN TAPS 2 SHOPS

G. Heileman Brewing Co. in LaCrosse, Wis., has given more business to W.B. Doner Co. and added Eisaman, Johns & Laws/Chicago to its roster. Doner, which works on Colt 45, Black Label, Blatz and other brews for the client, was assigned Special Export, import beers and wine coolers--an estimated $3 million to $3.5 million in billings. Doner, with shops in Baltimore and Southfield Mich., may be opening up a Chicago office to service its new client, sources said. Eisaman is picking up carbonated or sparkling waters

(under the Cold Spring and LaCroix names) and nonalcoholic beers, with billings estimated in the $1 million to $1.5 million range. Young & Rubicam Chicago previously picked up the major portion of the Heileman account, about $15 million in billings for Old Style and Old Style Light beers.

SEALY PICKS 4 FINALISTS

-- Sealy Inc., the Chicago-based bedding maker, decided on Ogilvy & Mather, Grey, HCM and Campbell-Mithun, all Chicago offices, as finalists for its $4 million account. Presentations are scheduled in in late August and a decision is expected in September. As previously reported, Sealy signed on CPM and SMY, media-buying agencies, while it conducted its search. Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt/Chicago is the former Sealy agency.

-- Eureka Co., the Bloomington, Ill.-based maker of vacuum cleaners, ended a 20-year relationship with Young & Rubicam Chicago and reassigned its advertising account to Keller-Crescent & Co., an Evansville, Ind., agency. Eureka is a $5 million account.

What does Kraft Inc.`s buyout of Tombstone Pizza, a Medford, Wis.-based firm, mean to the pizza maker`s relationship with Campbell-Mithun in Minneapolis, its agency since 1981? Kraft says the $3 million account will remain at C-M and that Tombstone`s budget will be increased. C-M has done a good job on Tombstone. However, at some future date, Kraft undoubtedly will evaluate Tombstone`s advertising needs and consider moving the account to one of Kraft`s ``regular agencies. Corporate or product conflicts at one of those shops may decide who wins Tombstone. Kraft agencies in Chicago are J. Walter Thompson USA; Needham Harper Worldwide; Foote, Cone & Belding, and Leo Burnett USA. Burnett already has a conflict, working on various pizzas, including Totino`s and Jeno`s, for longtime client Pillsbury Co. Kraft agencies in New York are Young & Rubicam, N.W. Ayer and Geers Gross.

-- Quaker State Refining Co., the maker of motor oil and automotive products headquartered in Oil City, Pa., reassigned its $12 million advertising account from USAdvertising to Grey Advertising, both in New York. USAdvertising last year was spun off as an agency of Lorimar Telepictures Corp. to handle selected accounts, including Quaker State, that were in competition with clients as a result of the merger of Bozell & Jacobs and Kenyon & Eckhardt, two agencies acquired by Lorimar. The conflict involved Valvoline Oil Co., a former client of K&E, now with Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt.

-- Carol Bruckman, a vice president of marketing in the corporate banking departmwent for First Chicago Corp. and a former senior VP-research director at Foote, Cone & Belding/Chicago, will join Cramer-Krasselt/Chicago Aug. 7 as marketing research director.

-- McDonald`s Owners of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, in its search for a new public relations agency, in the next week or two expects to have a list of firms to pitch its $200,000 fee-income account recently terminated at Aaron D. Cushman & Associates. ``We`ve discussed the account with several firms, and we`ll meet with others,`` said a spokesman for the McDonald`s group, which consists of 329 units.